And given the way he’d bungled things between them thus far, he probably deserved it.
Not to mention the fact Felix would shit a herd of cows if he found out Dom had slept with a suspect. Jesus. That was FBI rookie rule number one. Don’t fuck the target.
He knew better. Hell, usually, he did better.
Yet here Dom sat, pining after the last woman on earth he should be with.
The meeting adjourned, and people filed out of the room. Dom pushed to his feet as well, eager for something to do besides sit at his desk until his ass went numb. “Why don’t I make a coffee run?”
“Sounds awesome, man,” Brandon said.
Others concurred, and soon he had a list of orders in one hand and a wad of cash in the other. With luck, Felix would be there a little early too, and he could get his daily drop-off done at the same time. Desperate for fresh air and space, he took the stairs down to the lobby then pushed out into the overcast Vegas afternoon. Tourists and locals milled about, and he weaved through the crowds on the sidewalk toward the tiny coffeehouse on the corner.
As he neared the place, however, the back of his neck prickled, and his senses went on high alert. Someone was following him. He glanced first over his right shoulder then his left but didn’t spot anyone. Slowing his pace, Dom veered to the right and down the alley beside the red-brick building housing his destination. The footsteps behind him slowed as well, and he kept his head down. At the last minute, he swiveled fast and grabbed his pursuer by the arm, slamming them hard into the wall.
“Ouch!”
Liv.
Blood and adrenaline pounded loudly in Dom’s ears as he stared at her, her chest heaving as he pinned her against the bricks with his body. Pretty pink color infused her creamy cheeks, and her green eyes glittered with suppressed fire.
“Why are you following me?” The words growled from his constricted throat.
“Is this how you treat all the ladies?”
Her snarky response caught him off guard, and before he knew what was happening, she had their positions reversed. Cold, rough stone pressed against his spine while warm, soft woman pressed to his front. Heaven and hell, all rolled into one. She had one of his arms pinned to the wall above his head, while her other forearm pressed against his windpipe, not enough to sever his oxygen but enough to let him know she meant business.
Liv leaned in closer. “You were supposed to get coffee.”
“You were supposed to stay in your office.”
“What are you really doing here?”
“I’m not your leak, Liv.”
“Bullshit.”
Dom adjusted his hips, pressing his body more tightly against hers, loving the way her eyes widened slightly at the intimate contact. “I thought you trusted me, Princess.”
“I’ve trusted a lot of assholes.” Liv scowled. “And I’m not your princess.”
“I’m not an asshole.” He tilted his head slightly, studying her. “I’d never hurt you.”
She held his narrowed stare for a moment before pushing away. “I swear, if you do anything to jeopardize this company…”
“You’ll fire me?” Actually, if he was smart, he’d let her go ahead and do it. Yeah, he’d get in trouble from his superiors, but honestly, it would solve all of his issues. Too bad he wasn’t a quitter. Never had been. He’d worked too damned hard and way too damned long on this case to just throw it all away now. Besides, there was also the fact she thought he was some kind of sell-out. The thought stung more than he cared to admit. “Think about it, Liv. Don’t you think if I hired on here just to feed information to the bad guys, I would’ve disappeared by now? After all, they got what they wanted.”
“Not if the necklace wasn’t their real goal.”
“I’m not the leak.” He stepped closer again, crowding her against the wall once more. Her breath hitched, and the air between them sizzled. “I am, however, wild for you.”
She turned away, exposing the long, satin length of her neck. Without thinking, he nuzzled the spot just below her ear. The one that made her shiver. She whimpered, and he nipped her earlobe. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I—”
“Liv?” a voice interrupted from the end of the alleyway. “Is that you?”
Realization dawned in waves through his lust-addled brain. He knew that voice.
Angela. Shit.
Head lowered, Dom stepped back and cleared his throat.
How did his sister know Liv Rockford?
“Dom?” Angela squinted in the dimmer light. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Liv looked back and forth between them, obviously confused. “You know Tom?”
Dom gave his sister a look, silently pleading with her not to blow his cover.
“Oh.” Angela’s gaze darted between him and Liv before returning to Dom again. “Oh, right. Yeah. Tom. Sorry. We only met one other time.” She frowned. “Lisa’s party, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” Dom nodded. “Lisa’s party. And I’m sorry. What was your name again?”
“Angela.”
“Right. Cool.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and prayed this would all be over soon. “So, uh, how do you know Liv?”
“We volunteer together at Paws and Play, the local animal shelter.” Angela smiled, getting into her part now. She’d always loved playing make-believe when they were kids. He couldn’t help grinning at the memories. “My son, Milo, is learning responsibility before I get him a pet.”
And that explained his nephew’s little accident the other day.
Dom glanced at Liv. She didn’t really seem the type for hard manual labor. “You volunteer at the animal shelter?”
“Yes.” She crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. “And if you so much as mention it to my brothers, I will kill you. Slowly and excruciatingly.”
“Uh-huh.” Dom’s grin widened. “That’s a little thing I like to call leverage.”
“You want leverage?” She elbowed him hard in the side. “There’s your leverage.”
Ribs aching, Dom scowled over at her. “I told you I wouldn’t betray your confidence.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Liv gave him an exasperated look then turned back to his sister. “It was really great seeing you, Angela, but we really need to get back to work.”
“You guys work together?” Angela frowned. “What do you do?”
“Well, he’s my—”
“Associate.” He straightened with effort. “Same office, different floors.”
“Really.” Angela crossed her arms and gave him an amused once-over. “So, Liv. He’s that guy, huh? The one Shelby was teasing you about?”
“Well, no.” Liv’s cheeks flushed bright crimson. “I mean, you shouldn’t believe everything Shelby says about me. Tom’s a coworker. He helps out around the office, doing whatever needs to be done.”
“I aim to please.” He clenched his hands at his sides and forced a smile.
“You are not helping,” Liv whispered to him.
“I’m not trying to.”
“Now I know why you turned down meeting my brother the other night.” Angela gave Dom a pointed look then backed away, waving. “See you guys around. Enjoy… work.”
Liv turned on him once Angela disappeared around the corner. “You aim to please?”
“What?” He took a step back and held up his hands. “I do.”
“Let’s just hurry the hell up and get those coffees so we can get back to work.” She stalked off toward the front of the building.
“Fine. Great.” He rubbed a hand over his face then trailed behind Liv. Through the windows in front, he spotted Felix sitting at his usual table. Too bad he couldn’t risk the chance now of Liv seeing anything. Not to mention that accidental meeting with his sister. No doubt about it. This day had now officially gone from mediocre to downright fucked up.
With a sigh, he trudged into the coffee shop and took his place at the end of the line next to Liv.
&n
bsp; The next morning, Liv headed down to IT with Tom. She hadn’t been able to shake him since their alleyway rendezvous the day before, and it both irked and excited her. After all, she was supposed to be the one watching him and not the other way around. As she pushed through the door into the department, the weight of his stare made her tingle. She stopped at the reception desk and spoke to a young gal named Marti, according to her name tag. “Is Brandon here?”
“I don’t think so, Ms. Rockford. Said he had a meeting across town. You can check his cubicle, though, if you want. He should be back any minute.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Liv started through the maze of cubbies toward the back of the space. It wasn’t like she’d invited Tom to come down here with her. He’d just taken it upon himself to tag along. At Brandon’s cubicle, she stopped short, expecting to find it empty. Instead, there sat Abby, working on Brandon’s computer.
Tom, who apparently wasn’t paying attention, bumped into Liv’s back, sending jolts of awareness through her. He mumbled an apology, and she sent him a sharp look before turning her attention back to Abby. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh!” Abby stood and smoothed a shaky hand down the front of her black blazer. “You startled me, Ms. Rockford. Sorry. I, uh, was waiting for Brandon and I got bored so I thought I’d check my emails.”
“On Brandon’s computer?” Liv raised a brow. “Don’t you have your own station?”
“Yes.” Color bloomed in Abby’s pale cheeks. The curse of blonds everywhere. “I’ll, uh, just go over there and do it now. Thanks, Ms. Rockford.”
“That was odd,” Tom said.
“Yep. Especially since it’s against company policy.”
The door to the department opened again, and Brandon walked toward them.
“Hey, guys.” He sidled past Liv to sit down in his chair. “Glad you’re here.”
“Your email said you had information.”
“I do.” He waved her and Tom inside so they could see his computer screen. “Why is my station on?” He glanced back at the two of them then clicked a few keys. “I’m sure I closed it down before I left.”
“Don’t look at us.” Tom raised his hands in surrender. “We’re innocent.”
“Abby was in here when we arrived.” Liv said. “She was checking her emails.”
“Oh.” Brandon frowned, searching through a series of files, then he opened up several documents and photos. “Okay, so Blake put you guys back on surveillance today, and he asked me to bring you up to speed on the location you’ll be scouting.”
Liv peered over his shoulder at a cute little café in the art district. All Blake had told her was she and Tom were playing a young couple in love, having a romantic lunch then strolling the area boutiques, all the while keeping an eye on one of the 18B art studios. Word had it Bill Remington had gone to ground there, though Cody Brooks had good odds of showing too. If that was the case, she and Tom had been instructed to split up and follow them.
“Okay.” Liv straightened and started out of the cubby. “Seems easy enough.”
Tom mumbled his thanks to Brandon then followed her. “I still don’t like the idea of splitting up though.”
“Well, I guess it’s good you’re not in charge then, huh?” She gave him a fake smile as they pushed out into the hall. “I’m the lead on this case, and I can take care of myself.”
“Hmm. Guess we’ll see.”
“We’ll see?” She crossed her arms, the constant buzz of excitement she always felt around him boiling over into annoyance as they boarded the elevator. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She’d handled herself just fine during the motel job, even kicked Remington’s ass when needed. And he was one to talk. That meeting with Angela yesterday? Weird. The whole damned thing left her with more questions than answers. There was something not right with Tom. And she’d made it her personal mission in life to figure out what that something was before she allowed things between them to progress any farther.
He shuffled his feet, causing his arm to brush against hers, and that whole side of her body tingled from the contact.
Damn.
Now if she could just get her heart to agree with the plan, she’d be all set.
The elevator dinged, and they exited on the executive level. “I’m going to grab my jacket and a few things from my office. Meet me back here in half an hour.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He gave her a mock salute and backed away, his heated gaze locked on her the whole time.
Jaw clenched, she headed into her office. He was so… so… so damned irritating. Irritating and impertinent and impossibly gorgeous. And now she had to spend the whole afternoon pretending to be in love with the guy.
Fine then. If that was her job, fine.
She’d give him a show he wouldn’t soon forget.
17
A few hours later, Dom and Liv were window-shopping at the many boutiques lining the street in the 18B art district. They’d shared a nice, cozy lunch at one of the outdoor cafés and had had exactly zero sightings of anyone even remotely suspicious looking, including Cody Brooks or Bill Remington.
The breeze around them turned slightly chilly, and Dom wrapped his arm around Liv, tugging her closer to his side. It felt good, natural, right. Besides, they were supposed to be playing a couple in love. And couples in love did not stand a foot apart, not touching.
Still, Liv’s posture stiffened against him, and she kept her gaze averted, as if he weren’t there.
He sighed. “Can’t you at least pretend to like me? We’re supposed to be a happy couple. Blend in with the crowd, remember?”
“You’re just using this as an excuse to get your hands on me.”
“Okay, yeah.” Dom snorted. “Guilty as charged. So?”
She glanced up at him, annoyance blazing in her gaze. “I told you, all that’s between us now is strictly professional.”
“Professional, huh?” He slid his hand up her spine and smiled at her sharp intake of breath, the way her pupils dilated until her emerald irises were all but black. “That reaction did not seem professional at all, Princess. I think you’re in denial. At least try to be open to exploring this thing between us.”
She harrumphed and moved out of his reach, arms crossed and attitude frosty. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear.” Dom trailed her, determined to evoke some kind of emotion in her, even if it was irritation. “A woman who can’t wait to get away from me.”
“Funny.”
“I have my moments.”
“Yes,” she said, her tone reluctant. “You do. That’s what got me into this mess…”
He inched closer and was about to whisper something naughty in her ear when the door to an adjacent building jingled open, and out stepped Cody Brooks. His dislike of the guy grew to epic proportions. Not only was the dude a lying bastard, now he was screwing up Dom’s game.
Cursing, he turned away fast to avoid being recognized.
“There he is.” Liv clutched her bag tighter and watched their suspect jog across the street. “I’ll go after him.”
As much as Dom disliked the idea of them splitting up to follow these guys, at least Brooks was the less dangerous choice when compared to Remington. Tense, he faced the shop window again. “Okay. I’ll stay here and keep watch for Remington.”
She nodded and took off after Brooks.
Minutes passed with nothing happening, and Dom was seriously considering following Liv, plans be damned. Then, finally, the same door opened again, and out walked Bill Remington, looking like a bad Elvis impersonator minus the glittery suit.
Remington headed in the opposite direction from Cody Brooks, and after a quick assessment of the otherwise deserted area, Dom started to track him. Around the corner and down a block, Dom always made sure to stay a safe distance behind. Then the guy stopped at the corner crosswalk and slipped off his Ray-Bans.
Shi
t.
Same bulk and build and coloring as Bill Remington, but it wasn’t him.
Dom’s heart plummeted. He’d been played. Which meant… Liv.
He broke into a jog and headed in the direction she’d gone after Brooks. Nothing. Went back to 18B, thinking maybe she’d returned by now. Nada. Agitated, he paced the sidewalk in front of the shops. The bastards had drawn him away, and now God only knew what might’ve happened to her. And it would be his fault.
All his fault.
Fuck.
Liv looked over her shoulder as Brooks turned yet another corner. She’d lost track of exactly where they were a while ago, lost in the maze of tiny back alleys and side streets that made up this place. From the crazy street art and smell of solvents, they were still in the art district somewhere, but she had no clue where specifically.
Up ahead, Cody disappeared into yet another side street, and she hesitated before following him, ducking into a nearby alcove for cover. Didn’t want to give herself away so easily after tracking him all this way. After a deep breath, she charged around the next corner and came face to face with a tough-looking brunette with a semiautomatic in her hand.
Halting, Liv held up her hands and assessed the threat. Cody lurked in the shadows behind the woman. Two against one. Nice.
Okay. Fine. She was outnumbered and regretting her dumb decision not to bring a weapon, but she’d been in more difficult situations. What she needed to do was get into the light, see exactly what she was up against. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
“You’re the bitch that gave me this scar.” The brunette pointed the business end of the gun to a long pink furrow on her cheek. Liv remembered seeing one of her bullets graze the cheek of one of the assailants the day the necklace was stolen. “I’m going to repay the favor.”
The brunette handed the gun to Cody and swung at Liv before she even had time to think.
Liv ducked, weaved, counterpunched, and landed a hard right to her opponent’s cheek. The brunette stumbled back a couple steps then spit out blood onto the asphalt and grinned. “Good shot, bitch. Let’s see what else you got.”
Wicked Deception (The Rockford Security Series Book 5) Page 14